Nurul Rozali has experience working with prominent international schools in Singapore, Netherlands, China, and more. She earned her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Australia.
As a strong proponent for early childhood development and nurturing growth at a young age, Nurul finds joy in watching her curious students learn new things. The cornerstone for Nurul’s teaching strategy is promoting trust between teachers and students, as well as encouraging parents to take a proactive role in their child’s education.
Nurul chose OWIS as her next destination because the school promotes the same goals and philosophy she holds dear. The individual growth students have experienced on campus brings pride to Nurul and keeps her coming back to the OWIS classroom.
Ever the passionate adventurer, Nurul spends most of her free time taking Zumba classes, travelling with her husband, and surfing the waves in Bali. She also believes in giving back to the community and volunteers at an orphanage on a bimonthly basis.
Early childhood education has come a long way since its inception when it was primarily geared toward spoon-feeding information to young children. Leaders in early childhood education now recognise that children are naturally curious and capable of directing much of their own learning. Increasingly, early childhood educators realise the importance of play. At One World International School, play is at the core of our early years curriculum and takes many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages a child's senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a tremendously positive impact on brain development. Here's what play is all about and how we incorporate it into our curriculum to support all aspects of your child's development.
According to researcher Mildred Parten, children engage in different stages of play commensurate to their age and developmental level. These are the 6 phases of play that she defined based on the behaviour of preschool children at free play:
As children grow older, they love exploring different types of play and benefit from the following:
The Early Childhood classroom can provide the ideal backdrop for sensory play. Using art supplies to create pictures of their family, "measuring" containers of sand, or pushing toy tug boats through a lake of water beads are just a few of the many ways children can use their senses to connect with the world around them.
Opportunities for sensory play aren't limited to the Early Childhood classroom. You can provide your child with similar experiences at home, too. A sink full of coloured water and shells, pebbles in the garden area, or a pan of dry beans allows children to explore while cultivating their creativity and building new concepts.
Multisensory learning is possible with any activity that allows children to use at least two of their senses. For example, having our early childhood students at OWIS write their names in coloured sand involves touch and sight. Here are some other examples of multisensory play.
Sensory play encourages social interaction and builds language, motor and problem-solving skills. Between ages three months and five years, children are developing gross motor skills — namely, coordination, balance, physical strength, reaction time and body awareness. During these formative years especially, the importance of play shouldn't be minimised.
Early learners have an abundance of multisensory learning experiences at OWIS. Our multisensory activities encourage children to experiment and take risks. They learn cause and effect, communication, language and literacy skills. Play also allows for counting, measuring and sorting. When our youngest learners participate in multisensory play, the process is more important than the end result. Read on to discover what multisensory play looks like in our EC programme.
Teachers set up tables and tubs with a variety of materials so children can choose how they want to engage with the activity. Many activities involve "messy" play, which fosters curiosity and investigation. Students and teachers agree on some ground rules beforehand, such as not throwing objects out of the tubs and making sure everyone helps clean up afterwards. Teachers may assign a monitor to make sure children are abiding by the agreement. Another important role of the teacher is to model appropriate behaviour to maintain order in the classroom while giving children the freedom to explore. Possibilities for learning and creativity are practically limitless.
Students work with various herbs and vegetables — sliced carrots, lemongrass and sweet potatoes — in our "herb soup" tub. Picking up small objects improves their fine motor skills. Pouring and scooping help children observe different container sizes. In another activity, learners use scissors to cut paper, promoting dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
Two students experiment with foam and sand. They stretch their vocabularies as they describe what they're doing or make up an imaginative story related to their play. Nearby, another pair of children participate in small-world play. Working in pairs or small groups teaches children about teamwork and conflict resolution.
Students wash baby dolls in soapy tubs, pretending to take on the role of adult caregivers. Other students play with kernels and miniature animals in small-world play. These activities invite children to create a world all their own, giving them a sense of control, which, in turn, builds confidence. At another table, students use pipe connectors and other materials to build different structures. This activity fosters fine motor skill development, creativity and communication. Children also learn about spatial relationships and can begin to develop an understanding of gravity.
At OWIS, multisensory learning is related to the units of inquiry our EC students are exploring in the classroom. Learners discover how to build on what they already know by making connections between concepts and ideas. Play sparks children's natural curiosity, so they are motivated to take ownership of their learning.
To learn more about how sensory play can enrich your child's learning experience at OWIS, schedule a virtual school tour.
Please note: All the images in this blog were taken in pre-Covid times.